Home Depot’s sales rose 6.6% in Q3: Those better-than-expected results stemmed from severe weather and warm temperatures in many parts of the US boosting demand.

To take on retail media giants like Amazon and Walmart Connect, smaller networks need to constantly show what sets them apart and step up their media game.

Retailers faced no shortage of challenges in the first half of the year as elevated interest rates, the lingering effects of inflation, and a loosening labor market weighed on consumer spending. In this report, we’ll contextualize our coverage of retailers’ Q2 revenues across four key verticals: department stores, home, mass merchants, and off-price.

Lowe’s joins Home Depot in warning of sales pressure amid difficult market conditions: The home improvement retailer lowered its FY sales forecast as skyrocketing prices, limited supply, and high borrowing costs weigh on the housing market.

Walmart’s retail media network generated 11 billion impressions in Q1: The retailer is chipping away at Amazon’s dominance, despite the latter’s moves to boost non-endemic spend.

Retailers are cautiously optimistic as they look ahead to the holiday season: Imports are expected to be slightly higher YoY as companies bring in more mid-priced items.

Amazon announces Big Spring Sale as consumers show signs of spending fatigue: The retailer is counting on the event to jolt sales and give its ad business an edge over Meta and Google.

Before retail media, brands would pay retailers to market their products, but weren’t necessarily involved in how they were promoted. “Now, it’s more of a conversation,” said Melanie Babcock, vice president of Retail Media+ and monetization at The Home Depot. Retail Media+ is The Home Depot’s retail media network.

Walmart is launching its first shoppable video series: The first episodes of the holiday-themed “Add to Heart” will be available on Roku, TikTok, and YouTube beginning on Dec. 2.

Retailers invest in shoppable TV ads after seeing early results: Walmart, Amazon, and Home Depot are banking on the format’s interactivity and ability to grab viewers’ attention to drive holiday sales.

Walmart was the biggest US retailer by US sales in 2022 with nearly $500 billion in sales, more than double the size of runner-up Amazon, according to the National Retail Federation.

US retail sales are falling back to Earth: After years of massive growth rates, we expect US retail sales to increase 2.9% this year.

It’s getting hard to ignore the organized retail theft problem: Home Depot, Walmart, and Target are among the retailers ringing alarm bells about the growing crime issue.

The home improvement market bubble has burst: Home Depot expects sales to decline this year for the first time in over a decade as consumers pull back on home-related purchases.

Moving across the US-Canada border can be the first step toward international expansion for retailers. Canadian brands like lululemon athletica and Aritzia are thriving in the US. Meanwhile, US-based companies Lowe’s, Nordstrom, and Bed Bath & Beyond recently announced they were leaving Canada. And let’s not forget Target’s famous Canadian failure. Here’s a look at how brands on both sides of the border have fared, and the lessons you can learn from them.

The rise of in-store retail media will prove that the physical store is the next major media channel for brands.

The labor market is extremely challenging for retailers and restaurants: Quit rates are on the rise, which is making it difficult for companies seeking to improve the customer experience.

People aren’t moving as much as they used to: That poses a challenge to home improvement retailers like Lowe’s and Home Depot, as well as retailers that sell home-related items.

Target expects a tough year ahead: But there are several reasons why it may navigate slowing retail sales growth better than some of its competitors.

The 2022 holiday season’s solid retail sales gains were mostly attributable to inflation, but they nevertheless paint a cautiously optimistic picture for the 2023 holiday season.